1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apoptosis inductor extracted as a particularly effective substance against cancer from anthocyanin-containing potato, a potato foodstuff containing the inductor, and a processed product thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present, cancers are diseases that are leading all the causes for death. The prevention of cancer, therefore, has been arousing a truly profound concern in most people. Thus, many daily practicable methods for effecting prevention of cancer have been being proposed.
In recent years, the researches concerning apoptosis, namely the suicide of cancer cells, have been gaining in enthusiasm in the field of cancer study. The fact that the apoptosis not only discharges an important role in the formation of tissues and internal organs during the generation of living individuals and in the maintenance and defense of the homeostasis of living organisms but also relates deeply to the incidence of numerous diseases has been being elucidated. The abnormality of the action of the apoptosis in the control of cells is thought to form one of the causes for the development of cancer. It is held that when the cells that are inherently doomed to perish happen to survive the apoptosis, namely their own suicide, they encounter various stimulations and consequently undergo repetitive displacements on chromosomes and ultimately turn into cancer cells. The cancer cells are enabled to proliferate only after they acquire the mechanism of resistance of the apoptosis. From this fact, it is logical to conclude that the process in which cells cancerate in consequence of a varying displacement of genes is related to the process in which the resistance to apoptosis is acquired.
As the means to prevent cancer, numerous eatables and drinkables have been proposed. It is known that among other eatables and drinkables, the existing carcinostatic agents are particularly possessed of the activity of inducing apoptosis on cancer cells.
The existing carcinostatic agents, however, are synthetic chemical substances. They are at a disadvantage in being inevitably expensive because they require time and cost copiously for research and development, in not allowing easy determination of proper dosage, and in rendering protracted use difficult. Further, since most existing carcinostatic agents are synthetic products, they manifest strong adverse reactions and these side effects impose a great burden on patients suffering from cancers.
This invention is directed toward providing a substance which enjoys inexpensiveness as compared with the conventional carcinostatic agents, manifests practically no side effect, and possesses such an action of controlling cancer as permits continuous ingestion.